Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (middle), Air Commodore, David Aluko, the outgoing Commanding Officer, 119 Air Force Composite Base, Mana Sokoto and others shortly after celebrating the Holy mass on Sunday.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has decried that most Federal Government formations in Nigeria operate in breach of the law by not allowing for the freedom of religious practices.
Bishop Kukah stated this on Sunday while opening the 119 Nigerian Airforce (NAF) Composite Group Catholic Chaplaincy in Sokoto State.
He stressed that the Nigeria Government must ensure the enforcement of the provision of the law which allows for the presence of Church and Mosque in all Federal Government formations.
“Nigerians should not be begging for this section of the law to be enforced.
“We are not even asking the Federal Government to give us money to build these Churches (Protestants and Catholic), in some places, but all we are saying is that they should give us the land and we will go ahead and build our Church.
“You will believe that in some parts of this country where there is such federal government presence, people are unnecessarily nervous about giving Christians land to build their Church”, he said.
While noting that one can only be a good believer when you allow others to worship their God without hindrance, Bishop Kukah assured that they will continue to pray for the country.
Delivering his homily earlier, Bishop Kukah assured the congregation that God knows and hears every bit of our heart desires.
He therefore admonished Christians to always be positive in their thinkings and mindsets, believing that, God always answers them.
“Even when you whisper, God hears. Therefore, stop thinking negative either to yourself or somebody else”. Kukah pleaded.
The outspoken man of God also assured Christians that wherever they are to glorify God, darkness will always vanish, just as he maintained that “Nigerians are full of ignorance as they terms to forget that freedom of religion is very fundamental to achieving global peace.
“After naming the new Religion is in our hearts, not in the Church or any other gathering, hence the need to live Godly at all times.
In his appreciation speech on behalf of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, the outgoing Commanding Officer of 119 Composite Group, Sokoto, Air Commodore David Aluko, thanked the congregation for their show of faith and steadfastness.
He, however, admonished them to remain united and continue to be good ambassadors of the Christina faith.
